I. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed primarily to task-specific truck bodies dedicated to refuse hauling that employ reciprocally operating ejector systems, particularly, those which are supported by a pair of slider bars which ride in spaced, shaped side rails mounted within the truck body. Specifically, the invention focuses on replaceable slider tubes or bars for use in conjunction with the operation of ejection and/or packing mechanisms on such vehicles.
II. Related Art
Refuse hauling trucks commonly include a heavy-duty chassis and a hollow truck body mounted on the chassis and dedicated to receiving, compacting and discharging refuse materials. The combination includes all the associated hydraulic, pneumatic and/or electric operating mechanisms associated with heavy-duty packing and ejection equipment. Such trucks are typically loaded from the rear, front or side and have a heavy hydraulic-operated compacting systems to compact the refuse in the forward direction against an ejector blade in the case of the rear loading trucks and rearward of a reciprocating ejector system in the case of front loading trucks.
Specifically, front loaders include a refuse hauling reservoir designed for loading by dumping containers over the cab from the front of the vehicle; compaction is rearward and discharge is from the rear of the vehicle. A cylinder-operated compaction/ejection mechanism moves the wall aft along a horizontal plane in the manner of a plow blade to pack and compress the refuse in the refuse reservoir after each loading. Between loadings, the packer blade is moved forward to allow more refuse to enter the reservoir behind the blade. In this manner, refuse is eventually packed against a heavy-duty tailgate until the refuse reservoir is full at which point it must be emptied. The tailgate or container discharge closure mechanism at the rear of the truck body reservoir is opened (raised) and the ejector blade is moved fully aft by full extension of the operating cylinder or cylinders to expel the entire contents of the refuse reservoir.
In rear loading vehicles, the ejector blade conventionally forms the lower part of the front wall of the refuse reservoir and large hydraulic packers push the loaded refuse forward against the blade until the reservoir is fully packed. The rear loader discharges by fully raising the tailgate and operating the ejector blade rearward to, as in the case of the front loader, eject the entire contents from the rear of the open reservoir.
It will be appreciated that both rear loading and front loading refuse trucks, then, typically employ reciprocating ejector systems which traverse fore and aft within the hollow refuse reservoir. These devices typically ride in spaced parallel ejector rails configured to accept elongated load bearing slider tubes or bars attached to and extending along the parallel sides of the ejector. In this manner, the rails in conjunction with the load bearing slider tubes or bars carry the ejector system just above the truck body floor. The load bearing sliders attached to the ejector mechanism generally ride in recesses configured in the rails concentrate a large force on a relatively small area and it has been found that the slider tubes or bars wear at a fairly rapid rate, especially the forward and aft sections thereof. Of course, it is expensive and undesirable to require the replacement of an entire ejector system or to require extensive repairs on an ejector system which is otherwise intact because of the relatively rapid wear of certain areas of the slider bars. Slider bars that are easily replaced or refurbished would greatly reduce the cost of extending the life of ejector systems of the class and would be a highly desirable improvement.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the invention to provide ejector slide tubes or bars that are readily removable and replaceable when worn.
Another object of the invention is to provide readily removable slide tubes or bars having replaceable wear strips or surfaces.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a lightweight tubular slide bar having attached replaceable wear surfaces for a sliding ejector system.
Other objects and advantages will occur to those skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with the specification and claims contained herein.